Suction attachable clamps are known in the prior art. U.S. Pat. No. 5,820,116 (Haese), for example, discloses a suction attachable retaining clamp for holding an object such as a molding or mounting bracket against a surface such as a windshield. U.S. Pat. No. 4,457,503 (Conner) discloses a suction clamp for holding moldings in place on front or rear windshields of automobiles, while an adhesive material sets or dries, and it simultaneously prevents damage to the adjacent surface. Such clamps, however, are limited to producing clamping or compressive forces, and work best on clean, slightly moistened, non-porous surfaces such as metal and glass.
There is therefore a need for a device that can function not only as a clamp but also as a device to exert a pulling or tensile force when needed. There is also a need for such a device that can be used for a variety of end use applications and can be used on a variety of surfaces under a variety of conditions.
It would therefore be desirable to provide a simple and inexpensive single-sided clamp-like device that can be securely fastened to a surface and readily removed without damaging the surface or leaving unwanted residue that can be used as both a clamp to exert a compressive force, and as a device to produce a pulling or tensile force. It would also be desirable to provide a device that can be used on a wide variety of surfaces including metal, glass, paper, masonry and unfinished wood, and is not limited to use on non-porous surfaces such as metal and glass.